New year
by ranichan
Summary: There comes a time in a young martial artists life where he must knuckle down and choose his wife. This is NOT one of those times lol just chek it out


New Year  
  
"Ranma?" Akane called from Ranma's desk. She turned in her chair to face him as he lie on the floor of his bedroom, hovering over an algebra book. They were studying together in his bedroom and had been getting along grandly for a while. Even "Old Faithful" was nearly ready for retirement. nearly.  
"Hmm?" he answered as he began to figure out what the value of the variable in the equation was.  
"Well. while I was sitting here. I was thinking and." Akane began. She looked around the room that Ranma shared with his father and after seeing his clothes, came to this conclusion, "I think you and I should go shopping. Let's see." she recommended as she got up and picked up a shirt with a few holes inexpertly patched up by Akane and some pants that looked too small for Ranma as he had grown a little taller in the past year. "Your clothes are torn, patched, burned, too small or have holes and I just think that it would be fun to go shopping."  
"Ok. sure." Ranma replied.  
"How about now?"  
"Ok. sure."  
"Are you ready?"  
"Ok. sure."  
Catching on, Akane decided to throw in a few different questions. "Do you think I'm beautiful?"  
"Ok. sure."  
"Prettier than Shampoo?"  
"Ok. sure."  
"Cuter than Ukyo?"  
"Ok. sure."  
"Will you let me cook dinner for you tonight?" she asked smiling to herself.  
"Ok. I might not be listenin' but I sure as hell ain't crazy!" Ranma replied as he shut his book.  
"Why you." Akane began as she pulled out old faithful (Some thing's never change.)  
***  
The couple walked to the shopping district together silently. Ranma occasionally looking down from his spot on the fence down to Akane who had a miniscule, if even existent, grin on her face. Of course, he had noticed her heightened spirits as they walked but he didn't bother to ask her about it. All he knew was her cute factor was drastically increasing as she lightly blushed. But then again, that may be the blow to the head she had served him earlier.  
As they reached the shopping mall, Akane made an attempt at forming a conversation. "You know, Hiroshi was sporting some. jeans, I think they're called, the other day and I think you might look better in them." she started as a rosy red was painted across her cheeks. "Maybe we can find you a pair."  
"Yea. maybe." Ranma answered, noticing how fast he himself had gone from pale to flaming red in a matter of seconds. They walked around the mall occasionally stopping to browse in a few shops and try on clothes. They finally came to a small American shop called Aeropostale where jeans and sweatshirts and other sporty like clothes were hanging from hangers or folded on tables scattered around the shop.  
"How about we try in here?" Akane asked as she noticed some cute outfits that she might have to purchase.  
"Alright."  
Of course, Ranma should have known never to agree to go shopping with a girl. What did he expect? Just buying clothes? No, no, no. First you must pick out outfits. Not just clothes. Then you had to try them on just to make sure they fit right in all the right places. He just stayed in the dressing room the whole time and let Akane feed him clothes from over the dressing room door. The only time he would exit was to get an opinion from Akane or pick out his clothes. But then, he should have expected this.  
"Do I really need clothes? I mean, I'd rather go to school naked!" Ranma groused as he hauled another pile of clothes into the dressing room.  
"Hmm. that would be a fashion statement. Not that I would mind." Akane said under her breath as she continued to fish for clothes.  
As Ranma pulled his right leg into this new pair of jeans, a presence behind him made itself known.  
"You know? It's bad enough that you don't wear a uniform but to go to school naked? Might make Principal Kuno think you're one 'bad kiekie'. Not saying I wouldn't want to see it," someone giggled quietly behind him.  
Ranma turned with a start and bit back a scream as he faced the young girl in his dressing room lounging on a bench that was built into the wall. He hastily pulled up the pants and zipped them up trying to cover his exposed. area. "What are you doing here!?" he hissed.  
"Duh! I'm giving you more clothes! Maybe that swing to the head did do some damage." Akane answered from the other side of the dressing room door. "I'm going to go pick out a new sweater."  
"Oh. uh. okay." Ranma hesitated.  
"Ha, ha, ha! Oh my, Ranchan? You crack me up!" Ukyo snickered as she stared at the shocked expression on Ranma's face. "So. shopping for new clothes. with her?"  
"Like I said! What are you doing here!?" Ranma asked once more.  
"Well, I just saw you two love birds and thought I should drop by."  
"You got to get out of here. Don't you know Akane will kill me!?"  
"But. how will I get out?" she purred.  
"The same way you came! The door!"  
"But, Ranchan." she whispered as she playfully tugged at his collar, "I don't want to leave just yet."  
"Look, just leave!"  
"Calm down! I'm only trying to get you some new clothes!" Akane yelled as she tossed more clothes over the door.  
The clothes lazily drifted to the floor as most of them fell over his bewildered figure. "Damnit! Does she always come at the worst times?"  
"Now, you see, Ranchan, you wouldn't want a fiancée who can kill you with a blunt object just as easily as she can poison you with her cooking do you? Are you a lover or just a lover of pain?"  
"No. I. where is this all going, Ukyo?" Ranma asked firmly.  
"No Ucchan?" she asked innocently as she gave him her best puppy dogface. "I guess you're growing out of our old childhood names? So, perhaps you are maturing? Then there is something you ought to know."  
"And that is?"  
"Don't get cocky, Ranchan! Maybe I'm giving you too much credit but I think you're getting better at this game of life. If I'm not mistaken, there is still a dead end that you seem to keep running into. Years of indecisiveness have made you even more unsure of who to pick to be your wife."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Let's just say this, Shampoo, Akane, and I won't wait for you forever. I don't know about them but I know I don't want to be an old maid when I grow up. If you don't hurry up and choose, you may end up with nothing and nobody."  
Ranma began to feel uneasy. He backed himself into a corner of the dressing room so that he may get further away from the girl that had confronted him.  
"You do know that the longer you wait, the more aggressive and. brutal we might get towards each other to win you." Ukyo grinned as her eyebrows shot up in the direction outside of the dressing room.  
"Don't you dare touch her!" Ranma growled.  
"Do you like her more than you like me?" Ukyo sniffed as she cuddled up to him.  
"Ah!" he yelled. He greatly wished that he could disappear into the wall.  
"What's the matter? Are you ok, Ranma? Do you need me to come in there? Need any help?" Akane's worried voice called through the door.  
"Uh. I'm fine!" he sang. "I. stepped on something."  
"Oh. ok." Akane sighed relieved as a small wave of disappointment washed over her when she figured out that she wouldn't get to help him.  
"Well, I'm just saying, your spinning a web that will, in the end, be your own undoing. You have to choose. We won't wait much longer. I'm sure I speak for all three of us when I say I'm anxious to see whom you pick but you waiting so long will just make the blow so much harder. I mean, the longer you wait, the more time we waste fighting a losing battle. That time will haunt us all. But, in the time that it takes you to decide. you could lose us all completely. Shampoo can only disregard her feelings for Mousse for but so long. You know under that brutal façade towards him, she's truly harboring feelings. And Akane, oh little old Akane. With all those 'kidnappings' she's sure to find someone. Hell, she might discover an interest in Ryoga." Ukyo grinned twisting the knife that that had been shoved through his heart with the mention of losing Akane. "And me? Hmm. who knows who will hold my heart tomorrow. Ryoga. Kuno." Ukyo whispered adding parsley to the platter. "So many strong, promising bachelors and you expect us to leave our hearts and futures in the palm of your hand? News flash Ranma, things are changing. fast and if you don't get with the program, you'll be another guy who never lived. Do you really want to go on like that?" Ukyo drawled. She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. "It's a new year Ranma, honey, and it's bringing on new opportunities. I hope you take advantage of this time." Her face dripped with a solemnity that was foreign to her usual bubbly smile.  
Ranma's mouth somewhat hung open in shock. He didn't want to believe what Ukyo had brought to light but the blindness his naïve youth had assured had dissipated with the experience of life.  
In an instant, Ukyo dropped her serious pretense and pinched the cheek she had just lovingly caressed and left Ranma with a wink and a smile. Before disappearing, her whisper lingered in the air. "It's a new year."  
Ranma opened the door of the dressing room to find Akane staring at him strangely. "Akane! What's wrong!?"  
"Well. the jeans look good on you but your shirt is caught in the zipper." Akane said as she knit her eyebrows. "I knew he needed help," she thought.  
"Akane. can I ask you something important?"  
"Uh. sure, Ranma," Akane said as she began to adjust his jeans quirkily. She gave a tug trying to fit them correctly despite the shirt/zipper situation.  
Ranma grabbed her hands in his and looked her in the eyes. "Akane. if I took forever to choose a bride. would you wait for me?"  
Akane felt uncomfortable at the sudden intensity in his voice. So to lighten the mood she joked, "Well. I suppose so, that is unless a fine bishonen picks me up before you make up your mind! Or Himura Kenshin ever returns my calls." she giggled uneasily.  
"Akane. please. be serious. Would you wait?" Ranma asked once again, his steely-blue eyes pleading.  
"Yes, Ranma. I'd wait always. If you ever make up your mind!" she added flippantly.  
"Well, who knows? It's a new year." Ranma grinned as he stepped back into the dressing room.  
The End  
  
Author's note: Hey! Well, I hope you guys enjoyed reading. It was just some mindless fluff that I couldn't get out of my head and can finally rest easy because Ranma in some jeans won't be haunting my slumber. now if only I can finish "Reform" so the vision of Akane balancing books will leave me alone too. ( Just kidding! As usual, none of the characters in this fic belong to me but instead belong to Rumiko Takahashi who also owns the show Ranma ½ . Hell, even the store isn't mine! It belongs to. some other person. I dunno who but for the record it wasn't me! Nanichan signing off, until next time! 


End file.
